Smart Bra Tracks Wellness and Stress [video]

Stress is a factor leading to 3 out of 4 doctor’s visits in the U.S., according to Stress.org. The same organization claims that 44% of Americans reported feeling more stressed in 2015 than five years earlier. One in 5 people experiences extreme stress, the signs of which can include palpitations, shaking, and depression. The American Psychological Association reports the top six sources of stress are money (67%), work (65%), family responsibilities (54%), personal health concerns (51%), health problems affecting the family (50%) and the economy (50%).

Vitaliwear‘s Everyday Smart Bra, currently in a Kickstarter campaign, tracks biometric signs of stress and prompts the user to healthier posture and breathing. The bra tracks heart rate variability, breathing, and posture via accelerometer and gyroscope sensors in the fabric. Data is captured by a removable small, oval-shaped device called the GEM, that transmits the information to a smartphone app. The app sends notifications via the smartphone when it detects increasing stress. The GEM also provides haptic feedback with tiny taps to remind the user to breathe or to sit or stand up straighter. The GEM charges in 2 hours via an included contact charger or USB cable and runs 2 days on a single charge. The My Vitali app’s real-time display shows the user’s current data and can also be used to tracks progress over time. It also assigns wellness scores based on the biometric data it collects.

Stress can progress insidiously during the day, taking its toll by wearing down bodies and immune systems. The Everyday Smart Bra, is designed to help user’s control stress. Assuming the funding program is successful, the smart bra is scheduled to ship to backers in February 2018.